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Uncontrollable Urge
Song Name: Uncontrollable Urge Artist: DEVO Appears On: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (edit), DEV-O Live (Re-release only), Now It Can Be Told, Greatest Hits, DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years , Best Of DEVO Vol. 1, Live In Central Park, DEVO Live 1980, Hot Potatoes, Pioneers Who Got Scalped, The Essentials, Whip It And Other Hits, URGH! A Music War - The Album, Live 1981 Seattle, Live at Max's Kansas City - November 15, 1977, Butch Devo And The Sundance Gig Run Time: 3:08 (album version) Year Released: 1978 (album version) Years Performed: 1976 to present Writing Credits: Mark Mothersbaugh Sung By: Mark Mothersbaugh (lead), Bob Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale (backing) Shorter Version: Uncontrollable Urge (edit) (2:15) Alternate Versions: Uncontrollable Urge (TechnoDEVO), Devo 2.0 version Demo Versions: Uncontrollable Urge (demo 1), Uncontrollable Urge (demo 2) Song Connections: None 'Trivia / Info:' * The opening riff is similar to The Beatles's "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", the first track from their US debut LP, "Meet The Beatles". * The song is reminiscent of The Beatles's "She Loves You" with the incessant "Yeah Yeah Yeah" chant. * The odd chime during the outro on the album version comes from a German guitar amp found by Bob 1. When someone touched the end of a guitar cable plugged into the amp, it would make the sound. * A re-recorded version for Devo 2.0 changes the lyrics from implied masturbation to an explicit desire for between-meal snacks. Onstage Behavior: * Uncontrollable Urge, performed live, usually involves very tight choreography with band members pivoting in place, jumping on the synthesizer swoop, and moving into a formation and marching in place during the song's conclusion. * Starting on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour, Mark would rip parts of other members yellow suits off during the song. In 2004, Jerry Casale slipped on a suit fragment, injuring his back. Lyrics: :Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Got an urge, got a surge and it's out of control Got an urge, I wanna purge 'cause I'm losing control Uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it Got an uncontrollable urge that make me scream and shout it He's got an uncontrollable urge (I've got an uncontrollable...) He's got an uncontrollable urge (I've got an uncontrollable...) It's got style, it's got class So strong, I can't let it pass I gotta tell you all about it I gotta scream and shout it Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Got an urge, got a surge and it's out of control Got an urge, I wanna purge 'cause I'm losing control Uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it Got an uncontrollable urge, make me scream and shout it He's got an uncontrollable urge (I've got an uncontrollable...) He's got an uncontrollable urge (I've got an uncontrollable...) It's got style, it's got class So strong, I can't let it pass I gotta tell you all about it Make me scream and shout it I got an uncontrollable urge, I wanna tell you all about it An uncontrollable urge, make me scream and shout it And I say yah (he says yah!) And I say yea-ah (he says yea-ah!) And I say yah (yah!) And I say yea-ah (yea-ah!) And I say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! Live Video: "Uncontrollable Urge" appears on: : The Men Who Make The Music, : Live 1980, Live, Live In The Land Of The Rising Sun : Urgh! A Music War External Links: : (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (Edit) US Discogs : (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction b/w Uncontrollable Urge (Edit) US 45cat : Uncontrollable Urge (releases) MusicBrainz : Uncontrollable Urge (overview) AllMusic